The Chinese New Year was celebrated on Thursday January 22 at The Garden Hotel in Bangor with the traditional lion dance. Proprietor Andrew Lui, secretary of the North Wales Chinese Society, also organised a charity banquet with more lion dancing in the evening.

As the two lions danced and scattered lettuce, to symbolise making everything fresh for the new year, firecrackers were set off to scare away the bad things from the old year, Andrew's daughter Sandra explained.

Another dancer represented a buddha sent by the gods to keep the lions under control, she said, while food and incense were displayed as offerings to the gods.

The event is the most important festival in the Chinese calendar and this year marked the start of the Year of the Monkey.